Honeywell Resins and Chemicals announced Tuesday it has begun construction on its new nylon resins production line at its Chesterfield, VA facility. When completed, the line will become the first and only North American supplier of both resins, the company says.

According to the Honeywell, the new production line can produce multiple grades of Honeywell Aegis nylon 6 resins, as well as copolymer nylon 6/6.6 resins, both used in food packaging films and other applications.

"Honeywell has been committed to the nylon market for more than 60 years, and we are investing in expanding our capabilities and developing new technologies," said Erin Kane, vice president and general manager of Honeywell Resins and Chemicals. "Our position as the only fully-integrated North American manufacturer of both nylon 6 and copolymer nylon 6/6.6 will provide film manufacturers with a more secure resin supply than they have today."

 Approximately 10 billion pounds of food packaging film is produced in North America annually, and the use of nylon films on the continent is growing at a compound annual growth rate of 4.5 percent, according to Freedonia Group, a business research company.